Wer have recently been toying with the idea of obtaining an EDGE printer. The big thing in our shop is we try to stay away from anything with fumes. I am looking at the SUMMA DC4sx that says it has no fumes, will hold 24-30" material and is a thermal transfer technology like the EDGE.? My simple request is for anyone who has 1 of these SUMMA printers or have worked with them to let me know what you think of it? Is it rickety? Iffy? We have the Summa D-60 24" cutter and it has out performed itself for the last 7 years!
Your opinions are appreciated.
[ November 20, 2008, 11:14 AM: Message edited by: Corey Wine ]
Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
well, while you are waiting for those with a Summa, I will give a thumbs up for the Edge. Mine runs almost every day for 8 or 9 years now. The size limitation bugged me a bit, but I really never found it that big of a deal. Prints line up amazingly well when tiling, so it doesn't really end up being a problem. For the most part, reports I've seen have me thinking the Summa's only advantage is print width.
Posted by TJ Duvall (Member # 3133) on :
Well I can comment cause we have both. First i will have to agree with Doug. The edge is a great reliable machine that is built to make money. We have a Summa DC4. It will hold vinyl in widths of 24",30" and 54". I is in no way a rickety machine. Very well built and well worth the money.(Worth paying the extra and getting the bigger one in my opinion.) It holds 8 ribbons and will also cut. There are a couple of things I wish it could do differently but overall I think it is a great machine. Plus it comes fully assembled and ready to pretty much plug in and use. The rip is also very easy to use.
Posted by Tom & Kathy Durham (Member # 776) on :
I've still got my edge fx for sale. This is our second edge. I still think for spot color you can't beat it. We've just gotten into so much wide format stuff that it isn't being utilized. Let me know if you're interested. Thanks
Posted by Glenn Taylor (Member # 162) on :
I love my Edge. Its been the best legal way to print money I've ever had.
As for the fumes issue, you may want to wait and see what happens with the new UV inkjet printers.
I was looking at getting a wide-format printer a while back, but looking at my market I needed something that would print white ink on clear. There are several printers that will, but there's some issues in dealing with white ink.
Now the UV inkjets are starting to come out with LED lights for curing. Long story short...no fumes and no need for venting. 100% of the ink gets converted into a solid and there's no worry about the ink drying up and clogging up the heads. Printing with white ink isn't nearly as problematic.
Just some food for thought.
.
Posted by Mark K. Roberts (Member # 2239) on :
I really think you should take a good, long, hard look at the Roland VP-540 printer. I've had my Roland for about 15 months, and I am still impressed with this wonderful money-making machine.
This is an eco-solvent printer that also contour cuts. You can print sequentially numbered parking decals, full color wall wraps, school spirit decals, internal POS suspended banners, full color window graphics, and of course...vehicle wraps. Once you see how easy the Roland is to operate, you'll look for stuff to wrap!
The learning curve is quick and easy. You'll be making salable print-and-cut graphics in mere minutes, and best of all...you'll do it in one pass. The prints look like magazine covers (depending on your art files, of course), and when you laminate...they really POP! I use the Roland VersaWorks Rip program, which is incredibly easy to learn, and is included with the machine.
There is little or no odor associated with running this machine. Compared to resin ribbon printers, the Roland is extremely economical. There is no waste from unused portions of the ribbon, and the print comes out dry, with the built in heater and optional additional heaters.
I've owned a Gerber EDGE II for ten years, and I still use it for a couple of dedicated Lexan projects; however, once you switch to a 54" full color Roland VP-540, you'll see an amazing increase in production and profitability. I have several Roland projects (wall, window and vehicle wraps) on my website at theintersigngroup.com. Check 'em out!
If you are attending the USSC's Sign World Show in Atlantic City in a couple of weeks, be sure to drop in on my seminar to learn how to increase your large format printing business.The class is free with your admission and you'll learn many new opportunities to increase your profitability in large format printing. See You there!
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